Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02945466 2016-10-13
CHILD SAFETY SEAT
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to child safety seats.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] A child safety seat is typically used in an automobile vehicle
to properly
restrain a child in the event of accidental collision. It is widely known that
a child safety seat
that is placed in a rear facing position can provide better protection,
because it can distribute
crash forces over a larger portion of the body (i.e., child's head and torso).
Accordingly,
safety experts and car seat manufacturers usually recommend to seat children
in a vehicle in a
rear facing configuration until the age of 2 years old. As the child grows
older, the child safety
seat then may be installed in a forward facing configuration.
100051 The installation of the child safety seat usually requires securely
attaching the
child safety seat on the vehicle seat with a vehicle seatbelt or a harness
separately provided.
This can be so difficult to achieve with certain child safety seats that a
caregiver may need to
climb into the vehicle and press down on the child safety seat while pulling
on the vehicle
seatbelt.
1
[0006] Therefore, there is a need for an improved child safety seat
that allows
convenient attachment on a vehicle seat with minimal effort, and can address
at least the
foregoing issues.
SUMMARY
[0007] The present application describes a child safety seat including a
belt tensioning
mechanism that is easy to operate and can provide proper tension in an
anchoring belt for
securely attaching the child safety seat on a vehicle seat in a rearward or
forward facing
configuration. The child safety seat includes a child safety seat comprising:
a seat shell having
a shell surface, a first opening for passage of an anchoring belt to attach
the child safety seat
.. on a vehicle seat in a first configuration, and a second opening for
passage of the anchoring
belt to attach the child safety seat on the vehicle seat in a second
configuration different from
the first configuration, the first and second configurations including a
rearward facing
configuration and a forward facing configuration; a first and a second belt
restraining member
respectively connected with the seat shell, each of the first and second belt
restraining
members respectively having a clamping state for pressing the anchoring belt
adjacently to the
shell surface, and a release state for facilitating installation or removal of
the anchoring belt; a
first latch and a second latch respectively assembled with the seat shell and
operable
independently from each other, the first latch engaging with the first belt
restraining member
to lock the first belt restraining member in the clamping state, and the
second latch engaging
.. with the second belt restraining member to lock the second belt restraining
member in the
clamping state; and a first release actuator assembled with the first belt
restraining member
and exposed outward, and a second release actuator assembled with the second
belt
2
CA 2945466 2018-11-21
restraining member and exposed outward, the first release actuator being
operable to urge the
first latch in movement for unlocking the first belt restraining member, and
the second release
actuator being operable to urge the second latch in movement for unlocking the
second belt
restraining member; wherein each of the first and second belt restraining
members is
independently rotatable relative to the seat shell between the release state
and the clamping
state, the first belt restraining member being rotatable to the clamping state
for pressing
against the anchoring belt passing through the first opening, and the second
belt restraining
member being rotatable to the clamping state for pressing against the
anchoring belt passing
through the second opening.
[0008]
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a child
safety seat
having a belt tensioning mechanism in a clamping state;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the child safety seat of
FIG. 1 with the belt
tensioning mechanism in a release state;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a portion of the belt
tensioning mechanism
provided in the child safety seat; and
[0012] FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic views illustrating a variant
construction of the
child safety seat provided with a safety mechanism for closing multiple belt
paths in the child
safety seat.
3
CA 2945466 2018-11-21
CA 02945466 2016-10-13
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a
child safety seat
100. The child safety seat 100 can include a base 102, and a seat shell 104
assembled with the
base 102. The base 102 can provide stable support for installation of the
child safety seat 100
.. on a vehicle seat. The seat shell 104 can include a seat portion 106, a
backrest portion 108,
and a headrest 110 that may be vertically adjusted along the backrest portion
108 to adapt to a
child size. Moreover, the seat shell 104 may be slidably adjustable relative
to the base 102
between a plurality of recline positions for facilitating installation and
positioning of the child
seat safety seat 100 on a vehicle seat.
[0014] The seat shell 104 has a shell surface 104A that extends along the
seat portion
106 and the backrest portion 108. The shell surface 104A can be sideways
delimited between
two sidewalls 112 that respectively extend along a left and a right side of
the seat portion 106
and the backrest portion 108. Moreover, the seat shell 104 has two openings
114 respectively
provided through the two sidewalls 112 in a region corresponding to the seat
portion 106, and
two openings 116 respectively provided through the two sidewalls 112 in a
region
corresponding to the backrest portion 108. The two openings 114 can be
disposed symmetric
to each other near a front 104B of the seat shell 104, and the two openings
116 can be
disposed symmetric to each other behind the two openings 114. The two sets of
openings 114
and 116 respectively define two different belt paths that can be used for
attaching the child
safety seat 100 in a rearward or forward facing configuration. More
specifically, an anchoring
belt 120 (shown with phantom lines) may transversally pass through either of
the two
openings 114 near the front 104B of the seat shell 104 for attaching the child
safety seat 100
4
CA 02945466 2016-10-13
on a vehicle seat in a rearward facing configuration (i.e., the front 104B of
the seat shell 104
facing a seatback of the vehicle seat), or through the two openings 116
adjacent to the
backrest portion 108 for attaching the child safety seat 100 on a vehicle seat
in a forward
facing configuration (i.e., the front 104B of the seat shell 104 facing a
front of the vehicle
seat). The anchoring belt 120 can be a vehicle seatbelt, or a harness
separately provided.
[0015] Referring to FIG. 1, the child safety seat 100 can further
include a belt
tensioning mechanism 130 operable to tension the anchoring belt 120 for
ensuring tight
attachment of the child safety seat 100. In conjunction with FIG. 1, FIG. 2 is
a schematic view
illustrating the belt tensioning mechanism 130 in a release state, and FIG. 3
is a schematic
view illustrating a portion of the belt tensioning mechanism 130. Referring to
FIGS. 1-3, the
belt tensioning mechanism 130 can include two belt restraining members 132 and
134
respectively connected with the seat shell 104, two springs 136 and 138, and
two latches 142
and 144.
[0016] The belt restraining member 132 is pivotally connected with the
seat shell 104
.. about a pivot axis P1 extending transversally relative to the seat shell
104. The belt restraining
member 132 has two surfaces 132A and 132B opposite to each other, and an end
edge 132C
at a free end of the belt restraining member 132 that is generally parallel to
the pivot axis P 1 .
According to an exemplary construction, the belt restraining member 132 can
have a panel
146, the two surfaces 132A and 132B can be two opposite major surfaces of the
panel 146,
.. and the end edge 132C can be an edge of the panel 146 distant from the
pivot axis P 1 . It will
be appreciated, however, that the belt retraining member 132 can have other
shapes, such as a
plate, a beam, a bar, etc. The region where is placed the belt restraining
member 132 can
5
CA 02945466 2016-10-13
overlap with the belt path through the two openings 114, but not the belt path
through the two
openings 116.
[0017] The belt restraining member 132 has a clamping state (as shown
in FIG. 1) for
pressing the anchoring belt 120 adjacently to the shell surface 104A, and a
release state (as
shown in FIG. 2) for facilitating installation or removal of the anchoring
belt 120. Moreover,
the belt restraining member 132 can independently rotate about the pivot axis
PI relative to
the seat shell 104 between the release state and the clamping state. The
surface 132A can rise
away from the shell surface 104A when the belt restraining member 132 is in
the release state,
and the surface 132A can be adjacent to the shell surface 104A when the belt
restraining
member 132 is in the clamping state. According to an example of
implementation, the shell
surface 104A can have a recess 148, and the belt restraining member 132 can be
at least
partially (e.g., the surface 132A thereof) received in the recess 148 when the
belt restraining
member 132 is in the clamping state. When it is in the clamping state, the
surface 132A of the
belt restraining member 132 can press against an anchoring belt 120 passing
through the two
openings 114, which convolutes the anchoring belt 120 and provides tension in
the anchoring
belt 120 for a secure attachment of the child safety seat 100.
[0018] For convenient installation of the anchoring belt 120, the belt
restraining
member 132 can be biased by the spring 136 to the release state. The spring
136 can be
exemplary a torsion spring disposed coaxial to the pivot axis P1 and having
two ends
respectively anchored with the belt restraining member 132 and the seat shell
104.
[0019] Referring again to FIGS. 1-3, the belt restraining member 134
is pivotally
connected with the seat shell 104 about a pivot axis P2 extending
transversally relative to the
6
CA 02945466 2016-10-13
seat shell 104 and parallel to the pivot axis PI of the belt restraining
member 132. The belt
restraining member 134 has two surfaces 134A and 134B opposite to each other,
and an end
edge 134C at a free end of the belt restraining member 134 that is generally
parallel to the
pivot axis P2. According to an exemplary construction, the belt restraining
member 134 can
have a panel 150, the two surfaces 134A and 134B can be two opposite major
surfaces of the
panel 150, and the end edge 134C can be an edge of the panel 150 distant from
the pivot axis
P2. It will be appreciated, however, that the belt retraining member 134 can
have other shapes,
such as a plate, a beam, a bar, etc. The region where is placed the belt
restraining member 134
can overlap with the belt path through the two openings 116, but not the belt
path through the
two openings 114. Accordingly, the belt restraining members 132 and 134 can be
disposed in
two distinct regions on the seat shell 104 that do not overlap with each
other.
[0020] The belt restraining member 134 has a clamping state (as shown
in FIG. 1) for
pressing the anchoring belt 120 adjacently to the shell surface 104A, and a
release state (as
shown in FIG. 2) for facilitating installation or removal of the anchoring
belt 120. Moreover,
the belt restraining member 134 can independently rotate about the pivot axis
P2 relative to
the seat shell 104 between the release state and the clamping state. The
surface 134A can rise
away from the shell surface 104A when the belt restraining member 134 is in
the release state,
and the surface 134A can be adjacent to the shell surface 104A when the belt
restraining
member 134 is in the clamping state. According to an example of
implementation, the shell
surface 104A can have a recess 152 separate from the recess 148, and the belt
restraining
member 134 can be at least partially (e.g., the surface 134A thereof) received
in the recess
152 when the belt restraining member 134 is in the clamping state. When it is
in the clamping
state, the surface 134A of the belt restraining member 134 can press against
an anchoring belt
7
CA 02945466 2016-10-13
120 passing through the two openings 116, which convolutes the anchoring belt
120 and
provides tension in the anchoring belt 120 for a secure attachment of the
child safety seat 100.
[0021] For convenient installation of the anchoring belt 120, the belt
restraining
member 134 can be biased by the spring 138 to the release state. The spring
138 can be
exemplary a torsion spring disposed coaxial to the pivot axis P2 and having
two ends
respectively anchored with the belt restraining member 134 and the seat shell
104.
[0022] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the two latches 142 and 144 can be
assembled with the
seat shell 104 in a region 154 located between the two recesses 148 and 152.
The region 154
can be a hollow protrusion that separates the two recesses 148 and 152, and
the latches 142
and 144 can be assembled inside the hollow protrusion. The latch 142 can be
pivotally
connected with the seat shell 104 about a pivot axis P3 that is generally
parallel to the pivot
axes P1 and P2, and the latch 144 can be pivotally connected with the seat
shell 104 about a
pivot axis P4 that is generally parallel to the pivot axes P1, P2 and P3. The
two latches 142
and 144 can be disposed adjacent to each other in the region 154 of the seat
shell 104.
[0023] The latches 142 and 144 are operable independently from each other
to
respectively lock and unlock the belt restraining members 132 and 134, the
latch 142
engaging with the free end of the belt restraining member 132 to lock the belt
restraining
member 132 in the clamping state, and the latch 144 engaging with the free end
of the belt
restraining member 134 to lock the belt restraining member 134 in the clamping
state. More
specifically, the latch 142 can protrude outside the hollow protrusion of the
region 154, and
engage with a notch 156 (better shown in FIG. 3) provided in the end edge 132C
of the belt
restraining member 132 to prevent its rotation about the pivot axis P1,
thereby locking the belt
8
CA 02945466 2016-10-13
restraining member 132 in the clamping state. The latch 144 can protrude
outside the hollow
protrusion of the region 154 at a side opposite to that of the latch 142, and
engage with a
notch 158 (better shown in FIG. 3) provided in the end edge 134C of the belt
restraining
member 134 to prevent its rotation about the pivot axis P2, thereby locking
the belt restraining
member 134 in the clamping state.
[0024] Referring to FIG. 3, the two latches 142 and 144 can be
respectively spring
biased toward a locking state for respectively engaging with the two belt
restraining members
132 and 134. For example, the seat shell 104 can be assembled with a spring
160 that has two
ends 160A and 160B respectively anchored with the two latches 142 and 144. The
spring 160
can bias the two latches 142 and 144 toward the locking state for respective
engagement with
the two belt restraining members 132 and 134. Rather than one spring, it will
be appreciated
that two springs may also be provided respectively coupling with the two
latches 142 and 144.
[0025] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the belt restraining member 132 can be
assembled with
a release actuator 162 that is exposed outward on the surface 132B. For
example, the release
actuator 162 can be slidably connected with the belt restraining member 132
near the end
edge 132C thereof. The release actuator 162 can move relative to the belt
restraining member
132 between a first position retracted toward an interior of the belt
restraining member 132,
and a second position protruding outward at the end edge 132C of the belt
restraining member
132. While the belt restraining member 132 is in the clamping state, a sliding
displacement of
the release actuator 162 from the first position to the second position causes
the release
actuator 162 to push against the latch 142, which urges the latch 142 to move
and disengage
from the end edge 132C, thereby unlocking the belt restraining member 132. A
spring 164 can
9
CA 02945466 2016-10-13
have two ends respectively connected with the release actuator 162 and the
belt restraining
member 132. The spring 164 can bias the release actuator 162 toward the first
position.
[0026] Likewise, the belt restraining member 134 can be assembled with
a release
actuator 166 that is exposed outward on the surface 134B. For example, the
release actuator
166 can be slidably connected with the belt restraining member 134 near the
end edge 134C
thereof. The release actuator 166 can move relative to the belt restraining
member 134
between a first position retracted toward an interior of the belt restraining
member 134, and a
second position protruding outward at the end edge 134C of the belt
restraining member 134.
While the belt restraining member 134 is in the clamping state, a sliding
displacement of the
release actuator 166 from the first position to the second position causes the
release actuator
166 to push against the latch 144, which urges the latch 144 to move and
disengage from the
end edge 134C, thereby unlocking the belt restraining member 134. A spring 168
can have
two ends respectively connected with the release actuator 166 and the belt
restraining member
134. The spring 168 can bias the release actuator 166 toward the first
position.
100271 Exemplary operation of the belt tensioning mechanism 130 is
described
hereinafter. Suppose that the child safety seat 100 is to be attached on a
vehicle seat in a
rearward facing configuration. While the belt restraining member 134 remains
in the clamping
state, the belt restraining member 132 can be independently operated for
installing and
tensioning an anchoring belt 120 that is threaded through the two openings
114. More
specifically, a caregiver can operate the release actuator 162, which can urge
the latch 142 to
disengage and unlock the belt restraining member 132 as described previously.
The belt
restraining member 132 once unlocked can be rotated from the clamping state to
the release
CA 02945466 2016-10-13
state, this rotation being facilitated by the biasing action applied by the
spring 136 on the belt
restraining member 132. The anchoring belt 120 then can be threaded
transversally through
the two openings 114, and extend across a space between the belt restraining
member 132 and
the shell surface 104A. Then the belt restraining member 132 can be manually
rotated toward
the shell surface 104A to the clamping state, which presses the anchoring belt
120 into the
recess 148 of the seat shell 104, thereby tensioning the anchoring belt 120.
Once the belt
restraining member 132 reaches the clamping state, the spring 160 can urge the
latch 142 to
engage with the end edge 132C so as to lock the belt restraining member 132 in
position.
[0028] For releasing the anchoring belt 120 from the clamping action
of the belt
restraining member 132, the release actuator 162 can be operated to unlock the
belt restraining
member 132 as described previously. Once it is unlocked, the belt restraining
member 132
can be rotated from the clamping state to the release state for releasing the
anchoring belt 120.
[0029] Alternatively, suppose that the child safety seat 100 is to be
attached on a
vehicle seat in a forward facing configuration. While the belt restraining
member 132 remains
.. in the clamping state, the belt restraining member 134 can be independently
operated for
installing and tensioning an anchoring belt 120 that is threaded through the
two openings 116.
More specifically, a caregiver can operate the release actuator 166, which can
urge the latch
144 to disengage and unlock the belt restraining member 134 as described
previously. The
belt restraining member 134 once unlocked can be rotated from the clamping
state to the
release state, this rotation being facilitated by the biasing action applied
by the spring 138 on
the belt restraining member 134. The anchoring belt 120 then can be threaded
transversally
through the two openings 116, and extend across a space between the belt
restraining member
11
CA 02945466 2016-10-13
134 and the shell surface 104A. Then the belt restraining member 134 can be
manually
rotated toward the shell surface 104A to the clamping state, which presses the
anchoring belt
120 into the recess 152 of the seat shell 104, thereby tensioning the
anchoring belt 120. Once
the belt restraining member 134 reaches the clamping state, the spring 160 can
urge the latch
144 to engage with the end edge 134C so as to lock the belt restraining member
134 in
position.
[0030] For releasing the anchoring belt 120 from the clamping action
of the belt
restraining member 134, the release actuator 166 can be operated to unlock the
belt restraining
member 134 as described previously. Once it is unlocked, the belt restraining
member 134
can be rotated from the clamping state to the release state for releasing the
anchoring belt 120.
[0031] FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic views illustrating a variant
construction of the
child safety seat 100. The child safety seat 100 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5
includes the same belt
tensioning mechanism 130 described previously. A difference of the
construction shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5 is that the belt restraining member 132 further includes two
guards 172, and the
belt restraining member 134 further includes two guards 174.
[0032] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the two guards 172 are respectively
disposed at a
left and a right side of the panel 146 of the belt restraining member 132,
near the two
sidewalls 112. The two guards 172 can be respectively connected fixedly with
the left and
right side of the panel 146, e.g., via two arms 176. In this manner, the two
guards 172 can
move in unison with the belt restraining member 132 to respectively open or
close the two
openings 114 when the belt restraining member 132 is pivotally switched
between the release
state and the clamping state. In particular, the two guards 172 can
substantially close the two
12
CA 02945466 2016-10-13
openings 114 when the belt restraining member 132 is in the clamping state (as
shown in FIG.
5), and substantially open the two openings 114 when the belt restraining
member 132 is in
the release state (as shown in FIG. 4). When the two guards 172 close the two
openings 114, a
narrow slit can be left between the border of each guard 172 and a rim of the
corresponding
opening 114 for passage of an anchoring belt. Accordingly, when the child
safety seat 100 is
installed in a rearward facing configuration, the belt restraining member 132
can still clamp
an anchoring belt passing through the two openings 114 while the two guards
172
substantially close the two openings 114.
100331 Likewise, the two guards 174 are respectively disposed at a
left and a right side
of the panel 150 of the belt restraining member 134, near the two sidewalls
112. The two
guards 174 can be respectively connected fixedly with the left and right side
of the panel 150,
e.g., via two arms 178. In this manner, the two guards 174 can move in unison
with the belt
restraining member 134 to respectively open or close the two openings 116 when
the belt
restraining member 134 is pivotally switched between the release state and the
clamping state.
In particular, the two guards 174 can substantially close the two openings 116
when the belt
restraining member 134 is in the clamping state (as shown in FIG. 5), and
substantially open
the two openings 116 when the belt restraining member 134 is in the release
state (as shown
in FIG. 4). When the two guards 174 close the two openings 116, a narrow slit
can be left
between the border of each guard 174 and a rim of the corresponding opening
116 for passage
of an anchoring belt. Accordingly, when the child safety seat 100 is installed
in a forward
facing configuration, the belt restraining member 134 can still clamp an
anchoring belt
passing through the two openings 116 while the two guards 174 substantially
close the two
openings 116.
13
CA 02945466 2016-10-13
[0034] The two sets of guards 172 and 174 can respectively close the
two belt paths
through the openings 114 and 116 for preventing erroneous installation of an
anchoring belt.
For example, suppose that the child safety seat 100 is to be installed in the
rearward facing
configuration. In this case, a caregiver only needs to operate the belt
restraining member 132,
.. and the belt restraining member 134 can be kept in the clamping state,
which results in the
two openings 116 being substantially closed by the two guards 174. This can
prevent a
caregiver from erroneously threading an anchoring belt through the two
openings 116 for
attaching the child safety seat 100 in the rearward facing configuration.
[0035] If the child safety seat 100 were to be installed in the
forward facing
to configuration, a caregiver only needs to operate the belt restraining
member 134, and the belt
restraining member 132 can be kept in the clamping state, which results in the
two openings
114 being substantially closed by the two guards 172. This can prevent a
caregiver from
erroneously threading an anchoring belt through the two openings 114 for
attaching the child
safety seat 100 in the forward facing configuration.
[0036] Advantages of the structures described herein include the ability to
provide a
belt tensioning mechanism that is easy to operate and can provide proper
tension in an
anchoring belt for securely attaching a child safety seat on a vehicle seat in
a rearward or
forward facing configuration. Moreover, the tensioning belt tensioning
mechanism can
include a safety feature that can close multiple belt paths in the child
safety seat for
preventing erroneous installation of an anchoring belt.
[0037] Realizations of the child safety seats have been described in
the context of
particular embodiments. These embodiments are meant to be illustrative and not
limiting.
14
CA 02945466 2016-10-13
Many variations, modifications, additions, and improvements are possible.
These and other
variations, modifications, additions, and improvements may fall within the
scope of the
inventions as defined in the claims that follow.
